‘Homeworld Remastered’ Dated For February, Bringing Ultra HD Graphics

One of Gearbox Software’s announcements at PAX South on Sunday concerned Homeworld Remastered Collection. The real-time space battle strategy game and its sequel were instant classics when released for the PC over a decade ago. Now, the release of the entire series is only a month away.

Homeworld Remastered Collection is set to be released on February 25. Pre-orders for the game have already opened up on Steam, with a 15 percent discount being offered for those that grab the game early. The collection includes Homeworld and Homeworld 2 remastered in Ultra HD resolutions. The original versions of both games are included as well, plus access to the Steam multiplayer beta.

The multiplayer beta will launch alongside Homeworld Remastered Collection and includes the full multiplayer content from both original games.

“This beta combines code from over 15 years ago with newly-written changes, and will be shaped by fan feedback as development progresses,” the press release states.

For those unfamiliar, Homeworld combined large space battles in three dimensions with a compelling storyline to garner several game of the year awards when it was released in 1999. The game’s original soundtrack, by composer Paul Ruskey, also received high praise. In short, many of the space RTS games released over the following years owe much to developer Relic Entertainment’s work on Homeworld.

“Homeworld is among the greatest strategy games in history, and we’re very proud of the work our team has put into bringing this exceptional series to modern PCs,” said Brian Martel, Chief Creative Officer at Gearbox Software.

“We received a lot of great feedback from the passionate Homeworld fan community, and we hope to deliver a game they – and new fans from around the world – can get lost in for countless hours to come.”

Gearbox obtained the Homeworld IP when publisher THQ went bust in December 2012 and sold off most of its assets in a bankruptcy sale the following spring. Homeworld Remastered Collection is the first step to revitalizing the franchise. The next step is Homeworld Shipbreakers.

Shipbreakers is being developed by Gearbox in conjunction with Blackbird Interactive, a studio founded by Rob Cunningham and Aaron Kambeitz, who were both instrumental in developing the original Homeworld. Shipbreakers will serve as a prequel to the series, but does not have a release date yet.

“It is a very special and rare thing to see a project so close to your heart not only get re-released, but remastered with such loving care and attention,” said Rob Cunningham, who co-founded Relic Entertainment and served as the original art director of Homeworld.

“That fact alone is a wonderful privilege for me, but it is beyond rare to be working on an all-new entry as well! I have been sucked into a bubbling time-vortex hot tub of Homeworld – and I love it.”

Can space RTS fans go home again with Homeworld Remastered Collection? Sound off in the comments below.

[Images via Homeworld Remastered Collection]